We are very comfortable at the $199 price point… The numbers are very healthy for the PS2 at the $199 price point, Hirai is quoted as saying in a story published by Reuters today.
Price drops to all three consoles had been widely expected to take effect around E3 this year, just as they did last year – when Microsoft and Sony slashed their hardware prices $100 to $199, and Nintendo cut the Cube from $199 to $149.
However, Hirai seemingly doesn’t believe that a PS2 price cut is necessary at this point, and was also critical of Nintendo and Microsoft’s current policies of bundling software for free with their consoles – stating that he didn’t believe that these moves were really helping sales.
Industry reaction to Hirai’s comments has been mixed, with Take Two CEO Jeff Lapin saying that he hoped to see significant price cuts at E3, but conceding that if I’m Sony, I’d never want to cut the price; while THQ chief executive Brian Farrell pointed out that the pricing of the console is unimportant as long as Sony can meet its installed base targets for the year.
Whether Sony gets it at $199, $179 or $149, we’re indifferent, he told Reuters. All we need is that 10.5 million units.
The pressure on Sony to drop its prices in Europe is higher than in the USA, as here it is by far the most expensive of the three consoles, unlike the USA where the PS2 is sold at the same price as the Xbox. A recent price-cut by Microsoft in Europe saw the Xbox reduced to £129.99, leaving the PS2 retailing £40 more expensively at £169.99.
Source: Gamesindustry.biz
